1.1 Energy demand and petroleum product pipeline infrastructure in India
Energy is the lifeblood of our planet Earth, an essential commodity that powers the expanding global economy. Starting in the 1950s, oil and natural gas became the main sources of primary energy for the increasing world population, and this dominance is expected to continue for several more decades (Kharaka et al., 2005).

India is the sixth largest energy consumer in the world and is one of the world’s fastest growing energy consumers. The energy consumption matrix in India, as shown in the graphical pattern below is dominated by coal, followed by oil and natural gas. While this pattern contrasts with the World Energy Consumption Matrix, which is dominated by oil and natural gas, it is important to note that the consumption of oil and gas has been growing over the years in India, in comparison with coal.

With India’s progress into the 21st century, oil and gas supplies are going to play important roles in the country’s economic development. India’s energy demand is one of the fastest growing in the world, and energy management is one of the country’s prime concerns. The demand for petroleum products and natural gas is expected to grow at a rapid pace in the next decade. The India Hydrocarbon Vision 2025 has committed investments of US$ 49.46 billion and US$ 29.02 billion for the refining and marketing sectors respectively. India has one of the largest refining capacities in the world. The country has attained self-sufficiency in refining crude oil. In 2003-04 the refining capacity stood at 126 MMTPA, against the annual consumption of about 107.7 MMTPA. In 2003-04, the length of the crude pipelines was 5918 kms and that of the product pipelines was 7033 kms. Over the next six years, India is expected to add 10,000 km of gas pipeline infrastructure. According to the Sundararajan Committee around 87.3 million MT of petroleum products will have to move in 2006-07 (Anon., 2005).

Currently, the share of railways in carrying this load is around 70 per cent, followed by 25 per cent for pipelines and 5 per cent for roads. Railways and roads are inefficient modes of carrying petroleum products because they consume significantly more energy (320 BTU for railways and 1700 BTU for roads to move one tonne of petroleum products over one km) than pipelines for which the comparable figure is only 50-135 BTU. Since huge volumes of hazardous liquid and natural gas are required to be transported, the only feasible way to do so is through pipelines. Pipelines do not crowd our highways and waterways as trucks and barges would, nor do they contribute to traffic congestion or highway accidents. Therefore, pipeline transportation is the most practical, safe and most efficient way of moving petroleum products and gases and, hence, is the preferred mode all over the world. To facilitate this movement, the pipeline infrastructure in India requires strengthening. As is true for any other infrastructure developments, pipeline projects do pose wide array of environmental challenges.

1.2 Pipeline projects and ecological considerations
The juxtaposition of energy needs and biodiversity conservation has led to some difficult challenges for both the oil and gas sector and the conservation community. Exploration, production and transportation of petroleum products and construction of supporting infrastructure cause wide array of impacts on physical and natural environment. Impacts of pipeline projects are related to activities such as site clearance, construction of roads, and other land modifications necessary for construction of production facilities. The cumulative impacts from these operations are high.

The petroleum pipelines traverse through hills and offshore areas and are spread through varied land uses covering crop fields, forests, rivers, deserts and habitation areas. Such long linear features on the landscape have both spatial and temporal impacts on wildlife and wildlife habitat that are many times more in proportion to the area of land that pipelines occupy (Jackson, 2000).

Pipeline projects primarily contribute to cumulative effects on vegetation clearing for related activities in native vegetation communities. Given the long, narrow configuration of pipelines, their contribution to commutative native vegetation alteration is generally of the greatest concern where there is potential to affect native species or communities of restricted occurrence. Pipelines primarily affect terrestrial wildlife resources through four processes which can be viewed as triggers of impacts. These are alternation of habitat availability, which is largely incurred during project construction, habitat fragmentation which is a spatial outcome of alternation on habitat availability, direct wildlife mortalities and development of new access potential and associated loss of habitat security (Hegmann et al., 2006).

Potential impacts of pipeline development on wildlife have been extensively studied in the literature (Anon., 2004; B.C. Gas Utility Ltd. 1998; Canada NEB 1998, 2003a; Foothills Pipe Lines (South Yukon) Ltd. 1979; Taggart and McCracken 2002; U.S. DOI 1972;). Zsuzsanna Pató (2000) provided the detailed information on impacts of Bolivia-Brazil pipeline project on the protected areas and nature reserves en route the 3056 long pipeline. Construction of pipelines and facilities are known to cause direct habitat loss, alteration, or fragmentation due to clearance of vegetation and forested areas, leading to reduced habitat availability and species loss. Construction and operational disturbances may also have adverse impacts on wildlife feeding, nesting, denning, or breeding patterns and may cause wildlife to avoid areas entirely (Anon., 2004; Canada NEB 1998). Pipeline development may alter or disrupt seasonal and daily movements of wildlife by creating physical barriers such as trenches or fencing (Anon., 2004; Canada NEB 1996, 1998).

Furthermore, adverse impacts on wildlife are expected as a result of increased access to wildlife areas and increased construction and recreational vehicle traffic (Anon., 2004; B.C. Gas Utility Ltd. 1998; Canada NEB 1996, 1998, 2003a; Encana Ekwan Pipeline Inc. 2003). A recent environmental assessment of a pipeline project noted that increased mortality is possible because human-wildlife conflicts can result in the destruction of wildlife, and because hunters and predators can access wildlife more readily along roads or pipeline rights-of-way. (Anon., 2004). Direct loss of wildlife may also occur as a result of collisions with construction, maintenance, or inspection vehicles (Canada NEB 1996).

In India, the likely effects of pipeline expansion projects on fragmentation of habitats and consequent destruction of rare and endangered species such as great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), leopard (Panthera pardus) and Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus) have been documented (WII 1993; WII 1995a & 1995b).

Impacts of oil spills on soils, water, and vegetation may be serious. In addition, oil spills could also have detrimental effects on wildlife (Canada NEB 1996; U.S. DOI 2002;). Despite this conclusion, potential effects are difficult to predict since impacts on wildlife as a result of an oil spill depend on many factors, such as time of year, volume of a spill, characteristics of the affected habitat, and density of the different wildlife species involved (Canada NEB 1996; U.S. DOI 2002).

Malfunctioning of the pipelines may cause devastating effect on the environment (Dey, 2002). Pipelines conveying flammable or explosive material such as natural gas or oil also pose special safety concerns. Some of the reported accidents worldwide in the recent past are from Russia, Niger Delta in Nigeria, Belgium (Anon., 2000

1.3 Integrating biodiversity concerns in pipeline projects
Mainstreaming biodiversity values and goals of wildlife conservation into economic sectors such as pipeline projects and developmental policies and programmes has become critically important for steering economic development towards achieving sustainability objectives. The imperative for integrating biodiversity conservation concerns in impact assessment has been highlighted both in the National Biodiversity Action Plan (TPCG and Kalpavriksh 2005) and in the Article 14 of the global Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) that recognizes EIA as an important decision –making process for enhancing the conservation of biological diversity. This makes all parties that are signatory to the CBD to introduce EIA during the preliminary stage of activities which are likely to entail significant changes in biodiversity or have adverse effect on it and only based on the results and recommendation of EIAs shall the decision on the realization of planned measures be taken.

In view of the ecological implications generally associated with the routing and operation of pipeline projects and their likely impacts on biodiversity resources, this study aims to evaluate the impacts of the proposed 740 km long cross country Manglya-Mathura-Piyala-Bijwasan pipeline originating from the terminal of M/s Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd at Manglya (Indore) to Piyala installation (to be developed adjacent to BPCL’s LPG bottling plan) and including the 54 km feeder line to be laid between Piyala and Bijwasan for the movement of Motor Spirit (MS), Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) and the High Speed Diesel (HSD) from refinery in Mumbai.

1.4 Role of WII in the ecological evaluation of the proposed pipeline project
As a follow up of the June 2002 amendment of EIA Notification issued in May 2004, pipeline projects no longer require an EIA for seeking environmental clearance for the proposed pipeline project. Accordingly, the authorities of M/s Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), applied to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOE&F), Govt. of India for seeking environmental clearance of the project and the same was accorded by MOEF vide letter No.J-11011/1/2005-IA II (I) dated 11.3.2005 (Annexure I). Sensitive to the issues of biodiversity conservation and ecological concerns linked to development of pipelines and based on the experience of implementing pipeline projects in the past, M/s BPCL approached WII vide letter no E&P. MMPB. CONTRACTS. 4 dated 19th March 2004 (Annexure II) with a request to undertake an independent ecological evaluation of the proposed pipeline project to ensure that the project is implemented in a manner that safeguards biodiversity conservation concerns.

1.4.1 Scope of work

In response to the above request, WII undertook the desired studies under the consultancy offer of M/s BPCL with the following scope of work:

1. Provide the details of the land use within the pipeline corridor.

2. Assess the status of the wildlife species and their habitats (terrestrial and aquatic) within the proposed pipeline corridor.

3. Identify, predict and evaluate the impacts of the proposed product pipeline on the wildlife values of the forest and aquatic habitats en route the pipeline and the subsequent impacts of transportation of petroleum products.

4. Based on information made available by BPCL, on the socio-economic profile of the project area, integrate socio-economic impacts into the scope of impact assessments relevant for addressing bio-diversity impacts.

5. Based on the findings of the study, prepare Mitigation Plan and or Conservation Plan as may be relevant for the Environmental Management Plan requirement of EIA documentation.

6. Outline legal and the statutory obligation to be fulfilled by the project proponent under the Wildlife, Forest and Environment Act.

7. Document the outputs of the study as a technical report for submission to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.
 

Conclusions and Recommendations